Securing food in the cities of the future

Food supply is a constantly relevant topic, and at the latest webinar in the series Venue: Urban Landscapes, researchers, authorities and municipalities gathered to discuss how to secure the food of the future.

Municipalities have a key role in future food preparedness

Carlos Rojas Carvajal, Food Strategy Officer at the County Administrative Board of Skåne, began by placing today’s food supply in a broader context. He emphasized that food can no longer be taken for granted. Climate change, geopolitical tensions and rapid urbanization create new vulnerabilities – especially in densely populated regions.

Skåne is a clear example of the goal conflicts faced by many regions: the country’s most valuable agricultural land coincides with some of Sweden’s fastest-growing cities.

“Municipalities with extensive food production carry a particular responsibility. The resilience required to secure future food supply cannot be built solely in rural areas – it must be integrated into the entire societal structure, including cities,” said Carlos Rojas Carvajal.

He highlighted several ongoing national developments that point to strengthened municipal responsibility. New government inquiries propose, for example, that municipalities should be able to take measures to maintain access to essential foodstuffs during severe disruptions. Preparedness issues are also expected to become a more integrated part of municipal governance, rather than a side concern. This means that food preparedness must be woven into comprehensive plans, climate adaptation strategies, business development programmes and policy documents for public meals.

As an example of forward-looking work, Rojas Carvajal mentioned a preparedness agreement in Blekinge, where the County Administrative Board, the region, municipalities, and food industry actors have jointly established a regional preparedness council. Through joint exercises, information sharing, and the integration of results into both municipal and corporate risk and vulnerability analyses, a more cohesive and robust structure is created.

“Future preparedness must be based on collaboration between cities, regions, businesses and civil society – and planning for food must have the same obvious place in urban development as energy, water, transport and care,” he concluded.

The biggest challenge for cities is not producing food – but making the system work

Håkan Jönsson, Guest Professor at the SLU, placed today’s food preparedness issues in a historical perspective. He reminded listeners that today’s intense urbanization is a relatively new phenomenon, and that our societal structures are not yet fully adapted to urban populations. At the same time, there is a widespread assumption that urbanization is a natural development – without recognizing the city’s fundamental dependence on rural food production.

Historically, cities have often relied on inflows of food from outside, a model that dates back to the Roman Empire. This early on created a clear distinction between urban and rural food culture. However, Jönsson noted that other models have existed: Tokyo, for example, was largely self-sufficient in the 19th century, despite having two million inhabitants.

Today, interest in urban food production is growing, from rooftop farms to high-tech plant walls and insect production. But according to Jönsson, these are difficult to scale up at present. The main challenge for cities is not producing food – but ensuring functioning transport, logistics hubs, marketplaces, payment systems and food safety. As an example, he mentioned the port of Helsingborg, through which about 80 percent of the country’s fruit and vegetables pass. Any disruption there would quickly have major consequences.

Today’s food logistics are efficient but fully governed by market conditions. In a crisis, careful planning is therefore needed to ensure equitable flows while avoiding disruptions to systems that work in everyday life. The vulnerability of payment systems is another critical issue that Jönsson argued is largely unaddressed.

Jönsson concluded by highlighting that urban farming projects play an important role, even if they do not meet nutritional needs. They build knowledge, strengthen social cohesion and increase local preparedness.

“If you’ve grown food on a micro-scale in peacetime, it becomes easier to collaborate on a larger scale during a crisis,” he noted.

Södertälje builds long-term food preparedness through collaboration

Sara Seing, Head of Food Services in Södertälje Municipality and Director of the MatLust Development Node, described how the municipality has long worked to strengthen local and regional food supply.

Södertälje has a clear strategy that covers everything from cultivation and pollination to meal quality and crisis preparedness. The work is grounded in several policy documents – including a food supply strategy and a cultivation strategy – and links the municipality’s meal services with regional actors in eastern central Sweden.

A large part of the work takes place through the MatLust Development Node, which supports small and medium-sized companies in developing sustainable products and business models. When new food products are developed together with companies, they are often tested in the municipality’s schools and eldercare facilities, where children, parents and diners participate in tastings and workshops. This builds understanding of sustainable meals and provides companies with valuable feedback.

The focus includes strengthening production of Swedish legumes, utilizing residual streams and developing climate-smart products for use in the municipality’s 95 meal operations. The goal is for 30 percent of the food in the municipality’s procurements to be locally produced – and the forecast for next year is 22 percent.

Seing also highlighted the municipality’s investments in long-term structures rather than short projects. A current example is a new cultivation and food arena designed both to strengthen local vegetable production and to create jobs for people far from the labour market.

Finally, she offered three pieces of advice for municipalities wanting to start similar work: a clear political decision, concrete and measurable goals, and long-term allocated resources.

She also emphasized the importance of avoiding projects that lack anchoring in regular operations – otherwise they risk fading away once the funding ends.